


Dreaming in Color

by often_adamanta



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF, The Matrix (1999 2003 2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-22
Updated: 2007-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-22 08:30:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/236122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/often_adamanta/pseuds/often_adamanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Like you'd expect in <i>The Matrix</i>, they have hacker names. Li is Elijah and Zane is Orlando.</p><p>Beta'd by <span class="ljuser ljuser-name_talesinbloom"><a href="http://talesinbloom.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://talesinbloom.livejournal.com/"><b>talesinbloom</b></a></span>.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Dreaming in Color

**Author's Note:**

> Like you'd expect in _The Matrix_ , they have hacker names. Li is Elijah and Zane is Orlando.
> 
> Beta'd by [](http://talesinbloom.livejournal.com/profile)[**talesinbloom**](http://talesinbloom.livejournal.com/).

  
“Hey. I brought you dinner.”

Zane blinks open his eyes and stares blearily up at the back-lit figure in the door who steps inside and crouches down. Blue eyes and paler than pale skin and a rusty metal tray. “Li, right?” he asks, voice scratchy.

“You got it.” He sets the tray down on the floor in front of Zane and bundles his hands into his sleeves. Zane can’t blame him. The ship is so cold. “Hard day of training?”

“Shit, yes.” He runs his hands through hair that’s no longer there and feels the buzz of new growth against his palms. “I can’t believe how tiring it is to just lie in a dentist chair all day.”

Li laughed. “Oh, yeah. I remember.”

“I’m getting to the point where I cringe every time I go in there.”

“Well, that’s no good. There's a lot of nice programs, too. You just haven’t been in any of them.” Zane finds himself on the other end of a very speculative look. “C’mon. I’ll show you.” Li rises and moves to the door, turning back when he notices that he's not being followed. He raises his eyebrows and questions, “Zane?”

Zane stands to follow, and knows that at least part of it is how good it feels to finally be called by his name.

“So, what do you want? Exciting and fun or calm and relaxing?” Li asks, once they reach the room Zane has become so familiar with these past few days, a circle of chairs and wires and gadgets.

“Well, I’d normally go for the excitement, but right now, I could seriously do with some calm.”

Li grins as if he was anticipating that answer. “I’ve got just the thing.” He loads a disk, and then motions to one of the chairs.

Zane sits back and watches Li grab the long metal bar that he knows goes into his brain, which still makes his stomach flip. “You’re joining me, right?”

Li nods, distracted.

“Who’s going to load you up?”

“You learn how to do it yourself after a while, so that you don’t have to bother someone every time you want to train or something.” Zane doesn’t ask what the ‘something’ is. He’s obviously about to find out. “I’ll be there in a few seconds.”

Zane inclines his head just slightly, not wanting to move too much, and then winces at the sound of metal against metal - which is _wrong_ and the worst part - that precipitates a moment of sensory overload that’s over before it begins. He opens his eyes —

And finds himself in a quiet, green garden. He’s wearing loose fitting pants and a tunic, much like what he wears when sparring. His deep, golden tan is back, along with the brown curls falling into his eyes.

“Tea?” a quiet voice asks, and Zane turns to find Li kneeling in the soft grass. His attention immediately locks onto Li’s skin. He’s not wearing a shirt and is as pale as before, which is surprising, but what draws Zane’s attention are the tattoos covering his entire upper body. Mostly black ink, with colors added here or there. There’s a large circular symbol in the center over Li’s sternum, quite a few designs that look like Chinese writing, and many more things that Zane can’t decipher.

He realizes that he’s staring and looks up into amused, blue eyes. “They’re beautiful."

Li smiles, calling attention to a lip ring on the left side of his mouth before it’s hidden as he sips from a tiny teacup. “Thank you.”

Zane belatedly notices what he imagines is a Chinese tea service and kneels across from Li, who hands him a porcelain cup that smells strongly of jasmine.

“I was obsessed with Chinese culture when I was inside, so I wrote this program. It was a project of sorts. I tried to include everything I knew about the civilization, and it became my escape.”

Zane takes in his surroundings as Li speaks, the flowers and bamboo and the koi pond in the distance, the gentle sun on his face. “I can see why.” He sips at the surprisingly bitter tea. “Is that where your name comes from?”

“It’s Chinese for strength. Among other things.”

Zane turns back to the man across from him and is once again mesmerized by the patterns in Li's skin. They cover both arms and his neck, and Zane flushes faintly as he wonders how far down below the waist of Li’s pants they go.

“You can touch them, if you like.” Li’s voice is low and inviting, and Zane realizes that Li is anything but offended by his staring.

Zane sets down his teacup and moves until he’s on his hands and knees, face inches from Li. He reaches out one unsteady hand and touches a star that rests in the hollow beneath Li’s jaw. Li hums in pleasure. Zane’s glance flicks up to find those blue eyes dilated, so he leans forward and presses his lips to that same spot. Licks the firm skin beneath his lips to get a taste.

Li exhales steadily, as if looking for control, and one hand comes up to wind itself in Zane’s wild curls, pulling him closer. Zane sucks at the pulse point and draws his hand down along skin and ink until he palms the fabric-covered bulge at Li’s groin. He moves his head up to look into those pretty blue eyes. A smirk flirts at the corners of his mouth as he whispers, “You want me.”

Instead of answering, Li kisses him, warm lips contrasting with the cool metal of the lip ring. The kiss deepens, turning fierce, and Zane tastes the jasmine tea in the back of Li’s mouth.

Li falls back against the grass beneath them, dragging Zane by the material of his shirt until Zane is positioned over him. The shirt is quickly stripped off, discarded and forgotten, and then Li’s fingers rake over his shoulders. He shifts down until their bare chests are pressed together and kisses Li again, deep, fingers fumbling to get their pants down.

The contact is electric when he finally manages it and he gasps, shuddering at the feeling of Li's hand on his cock. His own hand is stroking Li, and his eyes widen as he sees that the black ink lines cover Li's hips and stomach until they merge with thick black hair at the root of his cock.

Zane's hips flex down of their own accord and they both cry out with pleasure. Li's head tips back, eyelids heavy and cheeks flushed. Zane leans down and bites at the base of Li's neck. Li arches up beneath him, and Zane realizes that he's two seconds away from losing control. Li grabs his curls and pulls him up for another kiss, tongue and teeth bruising Zane's lips relentlessly. He wants it to last longer, much longer, but Li's hand twists just so around the head of his cock and he's coming hard, then falling onto Li's tense body.

It's difficult to move, but he drags himself down until his face is level with Li's cock. Li shudders and chokes out a plea as he realizes what Zane has planned, and Zane smiles lazily and licks gently across the head. Li immediately strains up, trying to get inside. Zane complies, opening his lips and lowering until the head of Li's cock is in his mouth. Then he tightens his lips and _sucks_ \- one long, strong drag - and Li is cursing and coming into his mouth. He swallows and pulls off, collapsing again with his head on Li's hip.

Their breathing slows. A soft breeze whistles through the garden, cool against their sweat-damp skin.

They're still tangled up in their pants, which makes Zane want to laugh. He looks up and smiles at the bright blue stare he's receiving. "That was nice."

"Mhmm," Li agrees easily.

Zane nuzzles the skin beneath his cheek, his eyes following the patterns on Li's skin. He is sated and relaxed and more comfortable with Li than he can remember feeling with anyone else in years. He also feels safer than he has felt since he was freed.

He crawls up Li's body for a kiss, pausing to take in Li's satiated grin, when Li dissolves away.

Zane jerks back, panicked. Then the world turns inside out and he's back in reality, sitting in a dentist chair with a mess in his pants as Li competently powers down the equipment . He shifts uncomfortably, wondering how _that_ works.

Li notices his confusion and smirks, leaning in to take a deep breath heavy with scent of Zane's release. "Your mind makes it real," he explains. His smirk fades and he leans in to place a careful kiss at the corner of Zane's mouth, then is gone before Zane quite knows what is going on.

He hesitates for a second, confused, and then hurries back to his room before someone finds him in this condition.

\----

The tentative knock on the door wakes Zane from a dead sleep. He mumbles out permission to enter and hauls himself up until he's sitting on the bed. He turns and freezes when he sees Li in the doorway, again with a dinner tray in his hands.

"You, uh, slept through dinner again," Li says.

"Oh. Thanks. Here, I'll take that," Zane says, holding out his hands, and Li steps further inside to pass him the tray. Zane drags his spoon through the mush and suppresses a sigh. He glances up and sees that Li is still standing there. "Sit down," he offers, waving a hand.

Li sits on the very edge of the bed and bundles his hands inside his shirt.

"I haven't seen very much of you this week," Zane observes after a few moments of silently trying to eat without actually tasting it. In fact, he hasn't seen Li at all. It's been driving him _crazy_. He's dreamed of the garden and the faint taste of jasmine in Li's mouth more than he's willing to admit, but Li has been conspicuously absent. Zane had run out of excuses three days ago and finally decided that it must have been a one time thing, much as he loathed the idea.

"I know, but I've been checking up on you. How was the jumping program today?"

Zane shudders. "Jumping off a hundred story building is not my idea of a good time."

Li smiles. "It's only fifty-three stories. But, hey, you survived."

"True," Zane admits wryly.

"Although technically," Li continues, "It didn't really happen."

Zane blinks and swallows another mouthful of mush, not sure how to take that. "So did you need anything else? Or were you just checking up on me again?"

Li blushes faintly. "I just wanted to tell you that, um, my next session is in a few days, if you wanted to visit the garden again."

Zane's eyebrows rise in surprise. Now he's even more confused. "I didn't think you wanted-"

"I do."

"Then why have you been avoiding me?"

Li shrugs and looks away. "It didn't matter. The machine's been busy. New training program."

"Um, look, the garden was very nice," Zane assures him, growing more bewildered by the moment, "but we're in a private room right now. Sitting on a bed. Together. I'm sure we could come up with something to do, even if there is a lack of tea."

"It's just. Um ..." Li seems to have shrunken into himself, and his voice is soft enough that Zane leans in closer to hear it. "They're not real."

"Who's not?"

"No. The tattoos aren't real here. See?" He pulls up a sleeve to reveal pale, pale skin and one stark black plug on his forearm before yanking it down again and bundling his hands back in the fabric. Hiding them, Zane realizes.

"Li. Your tattoos are beautiful, but they're not the reason I'm attracted to you. I'm serious," he adds earnestly, because he can tell Li doesn't believe him. "Last week, if you had come in here and made a pass at me here, instead of in the garden, the same sort thing would have happened." He moves closer, bringing a hand up to trace one high cheekbone. "The same kind of thing I'm thinking about right now."

Li shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm ... ugly without the tattoos."

"You are not," Zane objects immediately. "You're gorgeous." And he kisses Li.

It's a different kind of kiss than before. It's shallow and slow, and Li doesn't have the confidence he displayed last time, but Zane likes it all the same because he's absolutely sure that this is _real_.

He deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms gently around Li who is still brittle and skittish. He moves down until he's sucking at the same place in the hollow of Li's throat that he did last week, and when he pulls back he can see a red mark instead of the star that was there last time. "I like that I can see the marks I give you," he murmurs, and Li smiles and finally seems to relax.

Zane goes back to kissing him, deeper and with his full cooperation this time, and slides one hand beneath Li's shirt to caress the warm expanse of skin that upset him so much. His hand moves over the plugs that run along the column of Li's spine, and they both shudder.

Li pulls at Zane's shirt until it comes off, fingers skimming over his back to return the favor. They shift together still kissing, until Li is once again stretched out beneath him.

"Want you to fuck me," Li hisses as his fingers work their pants down. Zane can feel how hard they both are as Li struggles with the fastenings.

"Oh, God. No lube. Unless you-"

"No. Have to work on that later. Here, just ..." Li maneuvers him so that Zane's cock presses between Li's thighs, right below his balls.

Zane moans and begins to thrust, Li's cock rubbing between their stomachs. Shit, it's so good. He can feel how Li's balls are tightening up. He pulls his hand free of Li's shirt in order to grab hold of Li's cock and stroke him, determined not to be the first to come this time.

Li's thighs tremble and then tighten. He comes all over Zane.

Li's thighs inadvertently squeeze his cock tighter and with one last thrust Zane comes as well, emptying himself into the small, sweat-slicked gap. He collapses down and is glad they ended up even this time because he doesn't have to move to give Li a breathless kiss.

After a few minutes he shifts, then glances down in confusion and starts laughing quietly. "We didn't make it out of our pants this time, either."

"It was worth it," Li mumbles, seeming close to sleep.

Zane marshals his last bit of energy to wrestle them out of their pants and then settles down. "Hmph," he grunts, and tugs at the shirt Li's wearing. "Scratchy. Take it off."

Li tenses against him and Zane expects him to refuse, but then Li shifts and pulls it off, letting it drop to the floor.

Zane keeps his eyes closed and settles against him smiling, and slowly Li relaxes again. They fall asleep in short order, intertwined together so tightly that it is impossible to tell them apart in the dim light reflecting off their pale skin.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at livejournal [here](http://often-adamanta.livejournal.com/175710.html).


End file.
